In the Twin Cities, ICE officers have accused individuals of obstructing their attempts to catch child sex offenders by following vehicles and honking horns.
On Sunday in St. Paul, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent driving a pickup approached a reporter parked nearby to comment on the situation. A video from that encounter surfaced on the same day.
The undercover agent confronted the reporter, saying, “We’re here to arrest child sex offenders, and you’re here honking your horn.”
The journalist responded, “We are not honking; we’re a news organization.”
The officer, leaning out the window and pointing to another vehicle, reiterated, “While we are trying to arrest child sex offenders, vehicles there are honking their horns and disrupting the investigation.”
He expressed frustration, saying, “That’s the kind of person you’re protecting. It’s insane,” before shaking his head and leaving.
Earlier footage captured the agent speaking with a woman in a parked car, questioning her about the validity of a warrant executed by ICE.
In that clip, a man exclaims, “This is insane,” referring to the situation.
The specific details regarding the woman’s alleged interference remain unclear.
A request for further details was made to the Department of Homeland Security.
This confrontation occurs amid ongoing protests in the Twin Cities following the shooting of activist Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents on January 7th.
The federal government claims Good, a mother of three, attempted to use her car as a weapon against an officer, but critics argue that excessive force was employed first by the officer.
During a recent protest, demonstrators vandalized cars with phrases like “Hang Kristi Noem” and “Only dead agents are good agents.” The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the graffiti.
